Ryan, seven, has made an eye-popping US$22 million (S$15 million) in 12 months leading up to June 2018 by doing what a kid may find most enjoyable – reviewing toys. That’s double the US$11m he made in the previous 12-month period, according to an estimate by Forbes.

The videos – a mix of unboxing videos and vlogs (video blogs) – are rolled out on a daily basis. They are filmed by his mother, who quit her job to produce the videos full-time. Ryan’s dad joins in the fun in some of the games, allowing children around the world to get an up close and personal look at some of the latest toys in the market.

And if you’re wondering about what Ryan does with the toys after reviewing them, his family donates them to local charities. He also has a range of toys and apparel sold at Walmart stores in the United States.

Forbes’ report explains that as a minor, 15 per cent of Ryan’s earnings must go to a Coogan account, which protects the money until he is of legal age. Some of the revenue goes to production fees and buying toys for his channel.

A version of this article first appeared in AsiaOne; additional reporting by Stephanie Yeo

At an age when many of us were dropping loose change into our piggy banks, one enterprising little boy from the United States is already a self-made multimillionaire.
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Ryan, seven, has made an eye-popping US$22 million (S$15 million) in 12 months leading up to June 2018 by doing what a kid may find most enjoyable – reviewing toys. That’s double the US$11m he made in the previous 12-month period, according to an estimate by Forbes.
The amount has placed him at No. 1 on Forbes’ list of highest paid YouTubers in 2018, beating PewDiePie and Jake Paul.
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His channel, Ryan ToysReview, is described as a “toy reviews for kids by a kid”, and boasts a large online following with over 17 million subscribers since its inception in March 2015.
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The videos – a mix of unboxing videos and vlogs (video blogs) – are rolled out on a daily basis. They are filmed by his mother, who quit her job to produce the videos full-time. Ryan’s dad joins in the fun in some of the games, allowing children around the world to get an up close and personal look at some of the latest toys in the market.
Almost all – US$21m – of Ryan’s earnings come from the pre-roll advertising on his channel, with the remaining US$1m from sponsored posts, said Forbes.
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And if you’re wondering about what Ryan does with the toys after reviewing them, his family donates them to local charities. He also has a range of toys and apparel sold at Walmart stores in the United States.
The successful YouTube channel has spawned a second one called Ryan’s FamilyReview in Nov 2016, which features family time with Ryan’s parents and his adorable twin sisters.
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According to the Forbes report, Ryan loves Lego, trains and cars. What’s his appeal? “I’m entertaining and I’m funny,” Ryan told NBC in an interview about his popularity.
Forbes’ report explains that as a minor, 15 per cent of Ryan’s earnings must go to a Coogan account, which protects the money until he is of legal age. Some of the revenue goes to production fees and buying toys for his channel.
A version of this article first appeared in AsiaOne; additional reporting by Stephanie Yeo
(Screengrabs: Instagram/ryansfamilyreview. YouTube/ryansfamilyreview and YouTube/ryantoysreview)